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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25460341">but it is too late now</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account'>orphan_account</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Homestuck</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - High School, Humanstuck, I Am Writing Like Kanaya Now Look, Implied Feferi/Nepeta/Jade, Implied One-Sided Nepeta/Karkat - Freeform, John "Not a Homosexual" Egbert, M/M, One-Sided Attraction, i don't know how to tag</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 10:15:07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,932</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25460341</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>When you were about to move from Texas from Washington, your best friend Dave confessed his crush for you. At the time, you said you didn't like him that way, because you were 'not a homosexual', but after thinking about it for years, you figured out that you did like him back, just weren't brave enough to admit it to yourself.</p>
<p>Now, three years after, you find out that he is studying in your new school and has a boyfriend.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Dave Strider/Karkat Vantas, John Egbert/Dave Strider</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>but it is too late now</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>if you saw my other fanfic, no you didn't.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Your name is John Egbert. 3 years ago, you moved from Texas to Washington with your father and nanna, because your grandpa passed away and your dad had promised to him that he would take care of your cousin Jade after he passed away. You wanted to stay in Texas, because you had friends there, but your dad decided it would be best to move to where Jade already lived, after all she was already suffering from a loss, it wouldn't be fair for her to also lose all her friends, which you agreed to. </p><p>The thing that had bothered you ever since you moved was your old friends. There weren't any kids around in your neighbourhood in Washington, and kids in school bullied you for being a nerd and having a slight Texan accent. They called you 'nerd cowboy' even after you lost your accent and you ended up ignoring anyone who tried to befriend you. </p><p>The friend you missed the most from Texas was your best bro, Dave Strider. When you told him you were moving, it was the first time he actually showed a genuine emotion to you: he started crying. A week after that, the day you were leaving, he confessed he had a crush on you. At the time, you told him you were flattered, but you did not like him that way, because you are 'not a homosexual'. That's a thing that's been stuck in your mind since then, because after thinking about it incessantly for the following week or so, you concluded that yes, you liked him back, but you had never really thought about it before. </p><p>You were too scared to say that to him back then, and you didn't even know people could date from a distance, so you you never messaged him again, and neither did he message you.</p><p>After some time, you did manage to make some friends, and even dated a girl, but that didn't last, and it only made you regret even more not talking to Dave, but it is too late now.</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>✷✷✷</p>
</div><p>It is the beginning of your Junior year of high school, and you and your cousin are being transferred to a new school, Skaia High School. It is farther away from your house than the previous one, but your dad wanted you to study there because apparently their teaching was better than most schools in Washington. </p><p>It is the first day of school and Jade wakes you up much earlier than necessary. "John! John, wake up! Come on we don't wanna miss the first day in the new school!" </p><p>You look at the digital clock on your bedside table, but you can't see what time it is because you don't have your glasses on. "What time is it? Did my alarm not go off?" You say with a sleepy voice.</p><p>"No, dummy! I'm just waking you up earlier so we can be ready and get there as soon as possible!" She says, and you can hear the excitement in her voice. Ever since she found out you were going to Skaia she wouldn't shut up about her two internet friends who studied there, and that she was so excited to finally see them in person.</p><p>"Fine." You say, getting up and grabbing your glasses from the bedside table. You look at the clock and it says it's still 6:12 AM. You groan and get out of your room with her so you can get ready.</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>✷✷✷</p>
</div><p>You leave your house at 7:30 AM and it takes a little more than half an hour for you to get to school. Your dad hugs you both and waves you goodbye as he enters his white car and leaves for his job. Jade pushes you into the school.</p><p>"Come on, John! I want to see my friends before classes start, you're gonna love them!" She says, grinning and dragging you along the tired looking students. She is way taller and stronger than you, so you don't even bother resisting and just go along with her, her long hair swishing after her and hitting your face.</p><p>"Jeez, Jade, slow down a little! It's not like they're gonna run away or something."</p><p>She slows down a little. "I'm sorry I'm just so excited to finally meet them! Oh, look, it's them, come on!" She points to two girls, one tall and with long, curly hair, and the other short with a blue hoodie with cat ears, and runs in their direction, pushing you along.</p><p>"Nepeta, Feferi! Hey!" She finally let's go of you and gives them a hug, to which they hug back. When they let go of each other, the smaller one looks at you, smiling, and asks:</p><p>"Jade, is that your brofur you told us apawt?</p><p>"Yes! His name is John and he is a huge dork. I'm sure you'll like him!"</p><p>"Hello, John! I'm Feferi and this is Nepeta! Jade talks about you all the glubbin' time." The taller one says.</p><p>"Um, hi. She also talks about you both all the time."</p><p>"Yes! I'm sure we will be the best of furriends!" Nepeta says.</p><p>You spend the rest of the time before the classes start with them, mostly hearing them talk and occasionally saying a thing or two.</p><p>In class, nothing really important happens, and when you go back home, there is a message from someone you don't know in Pesterchum.</p><p class="pesterlog">arsenicCatnip [AC] began pestering ghostyTrickster [GT] at 4:13 PM.</p><p class="nepeta">AC: :33 &lt; *ac sneaks into the chat, looking for purrey*<br/>
AC: :33 &lt; *ac instead of purrey finds a boy on his computer!*<br/>
AC: :33 &lt; *ac says: hello boy! can you answer a question fur me?*<br/>
</p><p class="john">GT: hahaha, what?<br/>
GT: who are you?<br/>
</p><p class="nepeta">AC: :33 &lt; im nepeta!<br/>
AC: :33 &lt; i mean<br/>
AC: :33 &lt; *ac says im nepeta! jade gave me your chumhandle*<br/>
</p><p class="john">GT: um, can you stop with the role playing?<br/>
GT: it's a little weird.<br/>
</p><p class="nepeta">AC: well sure!<br/>
AC: can you answer a question though?<br/>
</p><p class="john">GT: sure.<br/>
</p><p class="nepeta">AC: is there anyone named karkat in any of your classes?<br/>
</p><p class="john">GT: i'm sorry, i don't know. i really didn't pay attention to other people in my classes, sorry.<br/>
</p><p class="nepeta">AC: oh thats okay! :33<br/>
AC: if you s33 anyone named that tomorrow can you purrlease tell me?<br/>
AC: i looked fur him in school but i didnt see him and ive b33n plawnning to say someowthing to him fur a while now<br/>
</p><p class="john">GT: ok, i will see if there's anyone with that name in classes tomorrow!<br/>
</p><p class="nepeta">AC: thank you!<br/>
AC: :33 &lt; *ac purrs and rubs her head on your leg befur she leaves the room*</p><p class="pesterlog">arsenicCatnip [AC] ceased pestering ghostyTrickster [GT] at 4:21 PM.</p><p>Huh, that was kind of weird, you think, the cat puns and roleplaying and all. You make a mental note of checking if there is a 'Karkat' in your classes, so she can tell him whatever she wants to tell him.</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>✷✷✷</p>
</div><p>The next day, Jade wakes you up early again. This time, after she got ready, she put on a headbow with white dog ears, that contrasts with her dark hair.</p><p>When you get to school, you ask Nepeta about any physical details about this Karkat guy.</p><p>"Well, hes short, but taller than me. He always has messy hair and wears dark clothes and is very grumpy and loud."</p><p>You nod, and Feferi speaks. "You are still on with that thing on Karkat? Wasn't he dating that sunglasses guy? Dave, right?"</p><p>You tense up when you hear her say that. Dave, sunglasses? It couldn't be <em>your</em> Dave, could it? </p><p>"That's not why I want to see him! It's for another reason I can't tell you guys." Nepeta answers, her cheeks are red.</p><p>"Hey Feferi, you don't happen to know anything about that Dave guy, do you?" You ask her, speaking faster than you usually do.</p><p>"Um, no? All I know is that he is Karkat's boyfriend, wears sunglasses all the time and likes rap music. He is kinda popular here, but I don't really care about these stuff." She answers, and then starts talking to Jade about something else.</p><p>You tune out their conversation, and start thinking about the fact that Dave Strider is possibly studying in the same school as you again, and he is probably inside this building right now, and, oh God, you could be sharing classes with him, because you hadn't payed attention to anyone in your classes. What if he noticed you, and didn't say anything because he thought you didn't remember? </p><p>Before you can get any more nervous about this, the bell rings. You head to your first class.</p><p>When you're there, you pay more attention to the roll call, but there is no Dave Strider and no Karkat, and it is the same in the other classes.</p><p>In lunchtime, you took your food and sat down next to the girls.</p><p>"Hey, John, did you find Karkat?" Nepeta questions you.</p><p>"No. He is not really in any of my classes."</p><p>"Oh that's so bad! I saw him before I got to class today, but I didn't have time to say anything to him." She frowns.</p><p>You chew on your bottom before asking her: "Hey, was Dave next to Karkat when you saw him?"</p><p>"No, I didn't see him. Why are you asking?" </p><p>Jade and Feferi are looking at the both of you now, more interested in your conversation than in their plates of food.</p><p>"Um, not really a reason I guess. It's just that, uh Dave fits the description of an old friend of mine, and I just wanted to see if it's actually him."</p><p>"You mean someone from Texas?" Jade asks you.</p><p>"Um, yeah."</p><p>"You're from Texas?" Feferi asks.</p><p>"Well, yeah, I grew up there and moved to Washington a few years ago."</p><p>"You don't seem like you're from Texas. I mean, you don't have an accent or anything." Feferi states.</p><p>"Well, you can thank bullying for that." You force a nervous little laugh.</p><p>You go back to eating your lunch and ignore the conversation. </p><p>You finish eating, and excuse yourself to go to the restroom. In your way there, though, you stop when you hear someone yelling.</p><p>"Strider! Come on, if you don't give me that paper back, I swear to God-"</p><p>"You swear to God what? You're gonna tell the principal your boyfriend stole a note with a poem? Come on man, you wrote this for me, it's cute!" Dave says, holding a piece of paper up in a height that Karkat can't reach, and you can safely say that this is <em>the Dave Strider</em>, the one that was your best friend all those years ago. He is much taller now, and he's got some sideburns on his face, but he pretty much looks the same as before: bleached curly hair, lots of freckles and scars on his face, and he is wearing the same type of shades you gave him when you were younger.</p><p>You stare at him for a few moments, and when she turns your way and locks eyes with you, (well, eyes to sunglasses, in this) his eyebrows shoot up, in a look of clear confusion to seeing you. Before you can do anything, the bell rings, indicating it's time to go back to class.</p><p>Karkat snatches the piece of paper from his hand, that he had lowered when he was looking at you, and yells. "Ha! Got it! You're never gonna get it again, Dave!" Dave looks at him again, and you take this moment to sprint to your class. </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>this will probably be 2 or 3 chapters long :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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